SLTPB mulls sponsoring more MICE events to help industry recovery

By Nishel Fernando
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities plan to sponsor more international MICE events (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) to be held in Sri Lanka to support the recovery of the country’s tourism sector in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism chief Kishu Gomes this week said that the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) would now consider sponsoring such international events that the entity wouldn’t usually sponsor to rebuild the confidence on the country’s security among global travellers.

He also assured that all the MICE events sponsored by the SLTPB would go ahead as earlier planned, though some events would be held with some delays. Accordingly, Gomes noted that Amateur Golf Tournament, World Surf League qualifying series and West Asia Baseball Cup would be held in the country as scheduled. 

The largest MICE event, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s (CITES) World Wildlife Conference, which was originally scheduled to be held in Colombo this month, is now postponed to September. 

The conference is expected to draw over 3,000 foreign delegates and media to the country.  

However, the Matilda Musical, which was organised by Cinnamon Life together with Royal Shakespeare Company and GWB Entertainment, was postponed to next year. The event was originally scheduled to be held in June.  

Meanwhile, Gomes remarked that the SLTPB would explore the possibility of supporting the 71st International Congress of AIESEC, the world largest student-run organisation to be held in Sri Lanka this year. 

In addition, the SLTPB will participate in 25 international exhibitions and travel fairs during the remainder of the year. 

“We took a conscious decision not to stop all the work that we have been doing, including taking part in international exhibitions and travel fairs,” Gomes said. 

The SLTPB is also planning to hold 18 road shows in key tourism source markets to promote tourism and to revive the country’s tourism brand.